Sushi explained
Prominent in Japanese cuisine, sushi is a food made of rice balls mixed with vinegar and combined with various toppings or fillings, which are most commonly seafood but can also include meat, vegetables, mushrooms, or eggs. Sushi toppings may be raw, cooked, or marinated.
Sushi as an English word has come to refer to the complete dish (rice together with toppings); this is the sense used in this article. The original term sushi (-zushi in some compounds such as makizushi) in the Japanese language refers to the rice, not the fish or other toppings.
There are various types of sushi. Sushi served rolled in nori (dried sheets of laver, a kind of seaweed) is called maki (rolls). Sushi made with toppings laid onto hand-formed clumps of rice is called nigiri; sushi made with toppings stuffed into a small pouch of fried tofu is called inari; and sushi made with toppings served scattered over a bowl of sushi rice is called chirashi-zushi, or scattered sushi.
Sushi has become increasingly popular in the Western world, and chefs have invented many variations incorporating Western ingredients and sauces together with traditional Japanese ingredients. Western Sushi is rarely served in Japan. Such creations to suit the Western palate were initially fueled by the invention of the California roll. A wide variety of popular rolls has evolved since. Though the menu names of dishes often vary by restaurant, some examples include: Alaska roll
Dynamite roll, Hawaiien roll and Philadelphia roll.
Sushi as an English word has come to refer to the complete dish (rice together with toppings); this is the sense used in this article. The original term sushi (-zushi in some compounds such as makizushi) in the Japanese language refers to the rice, not the fish or other toppings.
There are various types of sushi. Sushi served rolled in nori (dried sheets of laver, a kind of seaweed) is called maki (rolls). Sushi made with toppings laid onto hand-formed clumps of rice is called nigiri; sushi made with toppings stuffed into a small pouch of fried tofu is called inari; and sushi made with toppings served scattered over a bowl of sushi rice is called chirashi-zushi, or scattered sushi.
Sushi has become increasingly popular in the Western world, and chefs have invented many variations incorporating Western ingredients and sauces together with traditional Japanese ingredients. Western Sushi is rarely served in Japan. Such creations to suit the Western palate were initially fueled by the invention of the California roll. A wide variety of popular rolls has evolved since. Though the menu names of dishes often vary by restaurant, some examples include: Alaska roll
Dynamite roll, Hawaiien roll and Philadelphia roll.